Serpent Judge No. 1: “The side that has brought the charges must state and explain their points of accusation first. Please begin, Head of the Taira family.”

  Kiyomori clears his throat loudly and begins to explain.

  Kiyomori: “As should be known to everyone in this hall, we are accusing the Sakiko family for three reasons: theft of all of our Phoenix Gold, placement of many traps on our estate, and the murder of my brother. We demand a large repayment as well as punishment for the Sakiko family.”

  Serpent Judge No. 2: “How did you arrive at these accusations?”

  Kiyomori: “I apologize for not clarifying this at the beginning. Only people who know the floor plan and exact structure of our home could find the storage where our Phoenix Gold was kept. As you may know, one of the sons of the head of the Sakiko family is capable of reading the space around him in a seismic way. In addition to that, a note was left for us in the storage. It said:

  ‘Hello you Taira idiots,

  I stole your Phoenix Gold. With my gift I can see through any architecture. I only have to close my eyes.’

  This is a paraphrase of Najun Sakiko’s birth ability. It may sound far-fetched, but that is how it is.”

  Serpent Judge No. 2: “Would you also give us an explanation for the other accusations?”

  Kiyomori: “Of course. The placement of the traps could only have been done by the Sakikos, because, according to our analyses, they were stored in a wooden crate. It was softwood. A type of wood that grows only on the Sakiko estate and in its immediate surroundings.”

  Kiyomori: “The murder of my brother happened in a way that can be traced back to another ability of the Sakikos: he was pulverized with electricity. One of the children of the head possesses this ability. Coincidentally, it is one who is not present here and also cannot be found.”

  Serpent Judge No. 3: “Where do you have so much information about the Sakikos from?”

  Kiyomori: “Personal research as well as sources.”

  Serpent Judge No. 3: “Thank you for your explanation. Now it is the accused side’s turn. Please explain your view of the case and why you reject the accusations.”

  Aihara stands up respectfully and takes a deep breath. He is nervous, but he swallows it down and tries to embody a strong leader.

  Aihara: “We reject the accusations of the Taira family. None of these accusations are true, nor were they committed by any of the present members of the Sakiko family.”

  Serpent Judge No. 3: “Does that mean you do not know whether a non-present member of your family did it?”

  Aihara: “I assume that no one from my family has done anything to the Taira family, but as you say, I cannot say that with one hundred percent certainty.”

  Serpent Judge No. 2: “Please continue with your explanation.”

  Aihara: “As you should know, the Taira family responded to our alleged crimes with another crime: they hired a hitman against us. In the process, my brother’s wife as well as several of my servants were killed. Since we present individuals had nothing to do with these acts, it was an unlawful reaction by the Taira family, even though they would have been legally allowed to do so.”

  Serpent Judge No. 1: “Whether the reaction was justified is another matter. However, we still need to talk about the many murders in your house.”

  The Serpent Judges turn back to Kiyomori. Aihara sits down and exhales calmly. He is proud of himself and even pats himself on the shoulder.

  Serpent Judge No. 4: “Could you name one of your sources, Mr. Taira?”

  Kiyomori: “I can even name two: a farmer’s girl and the head of the Fujiwara family.”

  Everyone present looks toward the area of the non-family spectators. They see two people: a young girl dressed like a fairytale character sitting in the front row, and another person sitting in the very last row. It is Michinaga Fujiwara, who is currently sleeping.

  Keiko: “That bastard. He’s not here just to watch. He wants to get his dirty hands involved.”

  Keiko clenches both hands into fists and is visibly furious. She is on the verge of standing up and starting to shout.

  Serpent Judge No. 4: “Mr. Fujiwara, I ask you to stand up.”

  Michinaga springs up energetically and salutes in front of the entire hall.

  Serpent Judge No. 4: “I remind you that the general rules of conduct apply to you as well. Especially since you are a witness, you must pay close attention to what is being said here.”

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  Michinaga: “Yes, yes, I’m already sorry. Please don’t hit me.”

  Serpent Judge No. 4: “Please also mind your language and choice of words.”

  Michinaga nods quickly and sits down again. He leans forward to show that he is now truly listening. Even through the masks, it is clear that the judges are not pleased that he is one of the witnesses.

  Serpent Judge No. 1: “Then we will first ask the young lady to take the witness stand.”

  The girl walks to a chair located inside a wooden box. As soon as she is inside, the box closes. The witness may only leave the box when the Serpent Judges allow it. In the past, it was also used for mental torture, but nowadays that is forbidden, as it is considered too cruel.

  Serpent Judge No. 2: “Please introduce yourself and tell us about your observations.”

  Suzuka: “My name is Suzuka Hato. I live near the Taira family together with my parents. Around the time when the three accusations occurred, I saw a mysterious figure. You must know that one has to pass our farm to reach the Tairas. It was a person in a black cloak. They moved strangely, almost as if they were in pain. The last thing I saw were a few electrical sparks, and then the person was gone. The sparks were green.”

  Serpent Judge No. 2: “To what extent do you believe that the Sakiko family is connected to this mysterious person?”

  Suzuka: “I was told that the child of the head who has electrical abilities uses green electricity.”

  Serpent Judge No. 1: “Is that true?”

  The Serpent Judge turns toward Aihara.

  Aihara: “It is true.”

  Naki: “Are they talking about Amara?”

  Najun: “Yes, but I don’t understand how they came to her. She is currently on a mission in the country her mother comes from. She is also visiting the ancestral graves of her family. But I can’t quite remember which country it was. It was definitely another continent.”

  Naki: “Then why are they talking about her as if she were guilty?”

  Najun: “Because she is the only one who possesses abilities that come closest to the cause of death. Or rather, she is the only known one, because there are surely more people in the world who could kill someone like that.”

  The girl continues to tell a few unnecessary details about the day she saw what she described and also shares her feelings.

  Serpent Judge No. 4: “Thank you very much for your detailed testimony. You may leave the witness box and return to your seat.”

  Suzuka is relieved to be able to leave the box. During her testimony she almost started crying because the situation was so embarrassing and uncomfortable for her.

  Serpent Judge No. 4: “Next, it is your turn, Mr. Fujiwara.”

  Michinaga prances toward the witness box. Instead of entering it immediately, he dances around it, shouting words like threads, nuts, and marshmallow. He is immediately ordered by the judges to behave himself and sit down in the box.

  Michinaga: “You’re not even allowed to make jokes.”

  Serpent Judge No. 3: “No, you are not. Please tell us about your observation.”

  Michinaga: “With pleasure. You know that we Fujiwara are involved in many things in this country. That includes the export and import of goods. Not too long ago, during a shipment, I saw a face present here today. The coachman of the sons of the head, Kogiri. Last name unknown.”

  Everyone on the Sakiko side is astonished. All eyes turn to Kogiri, who nervously stares into the air. What Michinaga says seems to be true.

  Michinaga: “It was a huge delivery as well as a shipment that was equally gigantic. However, we were not allowed to check what was inside the delivery or the shipment. Kogiri made sure of that. The only thing I can say is that the shipment was very heavy and had a special scent: it was described by the warehouse workers as burnt metal with a noble, sweet note. I was able to smell it later as well, and it was true. That makes me wonder whether the shipment might have been the missing Phoenix Gold, since it has such a scent. If it was not, then I wonder what was inside those two packages and what was done with it. Oops, in case you don’t believe me, there is also video footage as well as workers who can back up my statement, so just let me know.”

  Everyone looks at Kogiri curiously. Even the Serpent Judges look at him without saying anything. They think Kogiri should automatically understand that he has to say something. Keiko even stands up because she is so agitated.

  Kogiri looks at Aihara. Aihara signals to him with a look that he must not say anything.

  Kogiri: “I am not allowed to talk about that. I apologize.”

  Michinaga: “If you are not allowed to speak, then perhaps your head is allowed to say something.”

  Now everyone looks at Aihara.

  Aihara: “I refuse to make a statement.”

  Keiko: “What is this nonsense?! Do you enjoy tormenting us like this, you Fujiwara scum?! Your accusations are complete nonsense. Complete nonsense, I tell you. Even if what you are saying were true, it wouldn’t have to have anything to do with this case. Private matters are none of your business.”

  Serpent Judge No. 1: “I ask you to remain calm and lower your voice and choice of words. Otherwise, you will have to wait outside for the rest of the tribunal.”

  Keiko: “How can you believe him so easily? I don’t understand it. I don’t understand it. This injustice is too much for me.”

  Keiko leaves the hall voluntarily. She slams the doors shut violently and has no further interest in participating in this tribunal. She goes to the room where the magical circle is located. She performs the same hand signs as last time, but this time everything seems much more powerful. With her aggression, she accomplishes as much as she would normally do in several days.

  The tribunal continues normally. Keiko is no longer allowed to enter the main hall for this process. Thus, the Sakikos have lost a major support for this trial, but they must remain persistent, because otherwise their family’s reputation is finished.

  Ino: “It’ll be fine, brother. Even without Karoline we’ll manage just fine. We didn’t do anything.”

  Aihara trusts his brother’s words and does not lose heart.

  Kogiri has also withdrawn, but he does not leave the hall. He looks deeply shaken. Najun, Naki, and Saku do not know what to say and therefore remain silent.

  Serpent Judge No. 2: “Mr. Fujiwara, you may leave the witness box. Thank you for your testimony.”

  Michinaga: “You know, before I make myself quiet again, I would also have something to say about this case. More than what I said in the box. But only if it is okay for the Taira, because it is their turn again now. May I?”

  Kiyomori nods in agreement and leans back. He speaks briefly with his wife and son, who also agree.

  Michinaga: “So, as a witness, I also have two sights in store that show you what kind of people the Sakiko family really consists of.”

  Michinaga whistles loudly and the doors of the hall open. First, two people enter: a girl and a large man. The man looks somehow inhuman, almost like a machine.

  Next, a small person enters who is completely covered except for the eyes.

  Michinaga: “These are the two sights I need. If you allow it, I will open the next round in this process.”

  With a loud stomp on the floor, Michinaga opens the second round himself.